What I’m Loving: 10 Ways to Practice Self Care

As the summer approaches, I feel like life always becomes so busy that it often feels hard to keep up. Its important to remember to pause and take some time to take care of yourself. I feel like its so easy to tell other people to do this, but its so hard to do yourself!

To make it easier, here are my favorite (relatively easy) ways to take a little time for you:

Exercise. You all know how much I love a good run, but take time to exercise just for you. Take a walk, bike, or jog in the forest or your favorite place in the city. Don’t make this about burning calories or a fitness goal, just get out and enjoy the moment.

Clean. Take a half an hour to clean or organize something you have been meaning to do. Again, don’t think of it as a chore, but time to catch up on something that has been in the back of your mind! You’ll feel so much more accomplished after just getting it done!

Treat Yourself. Try to budget a little extra cash to buy something nice for yourself. Even if it means sacrificing a little here and there to save $5 a week. Take some time and buy that new pair of shoes or thing that you’ve been wanting. Obviously, you can’t do this EVERY time you want something, but don’t be afraid to save up for the things you really want.

Get Artsy. This is a hard one for me, because I often end up getting more frustrated by failed art projects than I enjoy them, but get some paint or crayons or whatever and spend a little time being creative.

Mini Spa Day: My best friend and I used to do mini-spa days on Sunday nights, and its still a tradition that I love to do. I keep a beauty supply drawer with random samples or beauty box subscription items that I never use, and if I’m having a stressful week, I take time to do a mask or deep conditioner, or mani-pedi to treat myself.

Eat Well. I feel like eating well makes me feel better overall, but its hard to maintain when you are stressed. Make sure to take time to pack healthy snacks or meals, or even just make yourself one nutritious meal or smoothie.

Go to Library. It’s been like 10 years since I have even stepped foot in a library! But I love paging through new books. Take some time and wander one and see what you discover.

Phone a Friend. I know this post is supposed to be about you, but take some time to talk to a friend or relative you haven’t connected with in a while and ask how they are doing.

Make a List or Write Down A Goal: I feel like writing down goals or plans always helps me feel more on top of things. This could range from “what do I want to accomplish this year?” to “what do I need to buy at the grocery store?”. I keep a notebook with all my random lists in it, and it helps me remember the end goal– whether its getting through the day, or what I want to accomplish that year.

Clean Out Your Digital Life: This could mean completely taking a break from social media, or taking some time to clean out your feeds. Does a certain person’s posts make you feel bad? That crazy relative that’s always posting political rants? Unsubscribe. At this point, my facebook feed is 10% ads, 90% puppies that are for sale, and life has never been better. You can also clean out your camera roll, texts, and delete apps you don’t use.

I encourage you to find a half an hour once a week to do one of these things and report back if you feel like it’s helping you find a little more calm in life. Do you have any self care routines that you love? Comment below to share!